Adapted by:
Juan Carlos López
Senior WriterAn engineer by training. A science and tech journalist by passion, vocation, and conviction. I've been writing professionally for over two decades, and I suspect I still have a long way to go. At Xataka, I write about many topics, but I mainly enjoy covering nuclear fusion, quantum physics, quantum computers, microprocessors, and TVs.
Karen Alfaro
WriterCommunications professional with a decade of experience as a copywriter, proofreader, and editor. As a travel and science journalist, I've collaborated with several print and digital outlets around the world. I'm passionate about culture, music, food, history, and innovative technologies.
The proliferation of large data centers for AI development poses a serious energy problem. It’s so serious that the U.S. Department of Energy is considering the possibility that companies with large data centers dedicated to training AI models could install a small nuclear power plant nearby to meet their energy needs.
This strategy would reinforce the U.S. commitment to energy sources that don’t emit greenhouse gases. What’s unclear is what investments technology companies will make and what subsidies the government will provide. Some major technology companies have already invested in nuclear power, although not necessarily in fission. Microsoft, for example, has an agreement with Helion Energy to obtain future power from its nuclear fusion reactors.
An Extra-Modular Reactor Designed for Data Center
The Aalo Pod extra-modular reactor shares many similarities with small modular reactors (SMRs). However, according to its creators, it differs from the SMR in one crucial aspect: its greater modularity. This feature makes it ideal for data centers.
The fourth-generation Aalo Pod nuclear fission reactor also offers another quality: its enormous flexibility. According to its designers, it can operate completely independent of the grid, coupled to the grid, or even in hybrid mode. That way, data center owners can use the strategy that best suits their needs, balancing the power produced by the reactor with what the existing electrical infrastructure can supply. Sounds good.
Each Aalo Pod contains five Aalo-1 micro-reactors paired with a single power-generating turbine.
The prototype unveiled by Aalo Atomics can deliver 50 megawatts of electricity. Its modularity allows this machine to scale up to provide several hundred megawatts and even thousands. The image available is a reproduction, but it gives a sense of the reactor’s architecture. Curiously, it looks more like a linear particle accelerator than a conventional fission reactor. One interesting note: Each Aalo Pod contains five Aalo-1 micro-reactors paired with a single power-generating turbine.
But that’s not all. The core of Aalo Atomics’ strategy is to develop a production technology that will allow the modules of each Aalo Pod to be manufactured on an industrial production line, like cars or jet turbines. According to the company, this approach will allow it to install reactors next to data centers in less time, in less space and for less money than a conventional small modular reactor would cost.
In addition, according to Aalo Atomics, each micro-reactor can be refueled at any time without shutting down the others it is paired with. It’s sodium-cooled, so it doesn’t need a nearby water source. The company’s paper promises to paint a good picture. Now, it will be important to see if it can deliver on its promises with a final product that lives up to expectations. Data centers continue to proliferate. And they don’t stop.
Image | Aalo Atomics
Log in to leave a comment